Acute alcohol intoxication is one of the most common poisoning diseases in emergency departments. The main clinical manifestations are nervous system symptoms, with various comorbidities, hidden complications, and high risk of adverse events, and it often takes up more medical resources in emergency departments. This article summarizes the necessity, basis, and existing methods of clinical risk assessment for acute alcohol intoxication, in order to provide a reference for early identification of high-risk patients and optimization of management in emergency departments.